Sideways: Vintage Comedy.

Sideways has an Oscar winning screenplay with brilliant direction and fabulous performances from all four leads. This is certainly one of the best movies of the year...


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Jack: Speak for yourself. I get chicks lookin' at me all the time. All ages. Dudes too.
Miles: Well, it's not worth it. You pay too big a price. It's never free.
Jack: You need to get laid, Miles. You know what? That's going to be my best man gift to you this week. I'm gonna get you laid.
Miles: Wonderful.
Jack: I'm not gonna get you a gift certificate or a pen knife or any of that other horse sh*t.
Miles: I'd rather have a knife


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Miles (Paul Giamatti) is an English teacher, wine connoisseur, and failed novelist. Jack (Thomas Haden Church), his friend, is a past-his-prime actor, who is about to be married. Miles plans to take his friend to California wine country, for a tour of the vineyards and a few rounds of golf. Jack has a different agenda. On the trip they meet Maya (Virginia Madsen) a waitress and Stephanie (Sandra Oh) a vineyard wine pourer. Under the brilliant direction of Alexander Payne, what follows is a funny and moving story of two men confronting the onset of middle age and the lost dreams of their youth in their very different ways.

This material could easily have become maudlin and passé, with its wounded characters and elitist wine jokes. Instead it is engaging, witty, human, tragic, uplifting and ultimately rewarding. It helps that the four leads put in stellar, Oscar worthy, performances. They lovingly turn the wonderful, Oscar winning screenplay by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, into one of the best movies of the year.

Although all four leads are fantastic, Virginia Madsen all but steals the show. Her performance is electric. When she is on screen she almost glows. Sandra Oh (Rita from Arliss) has some of the best scenes as Stephanie, and I would never want to make her mad. Paul Giamatti is renowned for perennially playing the loser. This time, however, he plays it with real depth and understanding. Thomas Haden Church makes Jack sympathetic, not an easy task. Considering his past work, he was probably surprised by the Oscar nod.

This is not my kind of movie. I much prefer action and escapism. As I put the disk in my DVD player, I noted the 2+ hour playtime with dismay, and looked at my watch. I need not have worried. As I was drawn in by the interplay of these wounded and all too human characters, the time passed quickly, and soon we reached the unresolved but hopeful conclusion. Life goes on...

Kudos to all concerned for an extremely memorable and well performed show.


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This movie has adult themes, minor male nudity and realistic language, so realistic that I had trouble finding a quote I could use. Personally, the movie is of such high quality, that I would probably let older children watch it, though I can understand why many parents won't.

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Oscars:

Won:
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Nominated for:
Best Director - Alexander Payne
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Best Supporting Actor - Thomas Haden Church
Best Supporting Actress - Virginia Madsen


Golden Globes:

Won:
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Best Screenplay

Nominated for:
Best Director - Alexander Payne
Best Original Score - Rolfe Kent
Best Actor - Musical or Comedy - Paul Giamatti
Best Supporting Actor - Thomas Haden Church
Best Supporting Actress - Virginia Madsen

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Sideways (2004)

Directed by Alexander Payne

Written by
Rex Pickett (novel)
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (screenplay)


Cast:
Paul Giamatti .... Miles Raymond
Thomas Haden Church ... Jack
Virginia Madsen ... Maya
Sandra Oh ... Stephanie